South China Morning Post World

A new subject called information and innovation technology (IIT) will be introduced gradually in Hong Kong primary schools from September 2028 to boost students’ digital literacy, with artificial intelligence (AI) one of its highlights. Students as young as seven will be able to hold simple “conversations” with an AI system, using simple prompts or commands, after learning about the technology. The Education Bureau said the aim of the “Information and Innovation Technology Curriculum Framework..

Hong Kong’s development chief has rejected accusations of a policy U-turn over the establishment of a dedicated agency to help flat owners with building repair tenders, insisting the agency’s planned remit differs fundamentally from one rejected a decade ago. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho, in a press conference on Friday, elaborated on the scope of work of the Building Maintenance Support and Services Council, which will be established by the end of this year. She was asked if

Ministers have defended their decision not to step down over the deadly Tai Po fire, insisting they are putting Hong Kong’s well-being ahead of personal considerations. A senior official also hinted that a successor might not be named to replace Winnie Ho Wing-yin, who resigned as housing minister to take political accountability for the city’s deadliest disaster in decades. Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun, who is now serving as acting housing minister, apologised alongside three

A planned renovation monitoring body could be held liable for poor oversight when recommending and keeping tabs on consultants and contractors, Hong Kong’s development chief Bernadette Linn Hon-ho has warned, as officials detailed broader reforms to curb malpractice during major building repairs. Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun also gave assurances on Friday that a new department overseeing major renovation projects would adopt a fresh approach and provide training, despite being

Hong Kong police are investigating the suspected theft of five styrofoam sculptures created by local artist Keith Lam Yan-kit. The sculptures were discovered missing from Hong Kong City Hall in Central hours before the opening of a major new exhibition. At just after 2.30pm on Friday afternoon, officers received a report from the Microwave International New Media Arts Festival 2026 about the missing art pieces, which are part of an eight-piece work. The case has been classified as theft and...

Hong Kong’s security chief has expressed confidence that a new joint task force led by him will eradicate the decades-long problem of bid-rigging, while denying that the reforms came too late after the deadly Tai Po fire. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung also said on Friday that law enforcement officers would attend meetings of owners’ corporations where the risk of bid-rigging was deemed high to gather frontline intelligence and intervene early. Authorities also hope to pass new...

Hong Kong will be the exclusive host of Vinexpo Asia from 2027 to 2031, ending a rotation with Singapore. The organiser of the fair, Vinexposium, confirmed its five-year commitment to Hong Kong on Friday, signing a memorandum of understanding with the Tourism Board. Board chairman Peter Lam Kin-ngok called the partnership a milestone that underscored a commitment to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s leading destination for wine, spirits and culinary experiences. “[Vinexposium’s]...

Eight companies have applied for licences to provide ride-hailing services in Hong Kong under the new regulatory regime ahead of Friday’s deadline, the Transport Department has confirmed. US-based Uber, Singapore-based Tada, Amap and Didi Chuxing, all of which currently serve the market, confirmed to the South China Morning Post that they had submitted applications. Amap is operated by Alibaba Group Holding, which owns the SCMP. A department spokesman said receiving eight applications ahead of..

Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways has revealed that 53,000 bookings were compromised after hackers breached the system of its technology service provider. The carrier is among hundreds of airlines worldwide that use technology solutions provided by Amadeus IT Group. The revelation follows similar disclosures by Korean Air and Japan Airlines. Cathay said on Friday that the unauthorised access took place between August 2023 and September 2026. “We apologise to our customers for the...

The former father-in-law of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung has made a U-turn midway through his and his sons’ murder trial, pleading guilty to the illegal disposal of her body. As the High Court trial entered its fifth week before a nine-member jury, Kwong Kau made the stunning reversal on Friday and admitted to the charge he had initially denied. The 68-year-old retired police sergeant stands accused of murdering his former daughter-in-law on February 21, 2023, and preventing the.

Hong Kong authorities have scrapped a controversial plan to install decorative lights along a scenic trail on The Peak to increase the city’s nighttime tourism appeal following a public outcry, promising to restore the natural landscape as soon as possible. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and Tourism Board concluded there was no urgent need to roll out the project after assessing the effectiveness of a watered-down version of the attraction, according to a document they submitted to the..

A combination of a lit cigarette and an “abundant fuel” of combustible materials caused Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, according to a long-awaited report which found the blaze would not have killed so many people, or happened at all, without “human fault”. Eleven months after the deadly fire tore through Wang Fuk Court, killing 168 and displacing thousands, an independent committee’s report released on Thursday assigned blame to the main contractor for renovations at the housing estate,.

Later opening times are unlikely to boost wine sales by the bottle, exhibitors returning to Hong Kong’s annual Wine and Dine Festival have said, with new overseas participants believing that the city serves as an indicator for broader trends in Asian markets. The festival returned to the Central Harbourfront on Thursday with over 340 booths, an increase of more than 10 per cent from last year, with over 30 countries and regions represented. Operating hours are from 1pm to 1am on Friday and...

A long-awaited report on the Wang Fuk Court fire released by Hong Kong authorities on Thursday set out how a chain of systemic failures across the government and the construction sector led to the deaths of 168 people. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu alongside top officials announced an array of decisions, ranging from the resignation of the housing chief and setting up a new body to assist homeowners in renovation projects to criminalising bid-rigging that was regarded by officials as “the...

A police officer has denied failing to properly label DNA samples taken from slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung’s ex-husband after his arrest more than three years ago. Testifying in the High Court on Thursday, Sergeant Lam Chun also denied using excessive force to subdue Alex Kwong Kong-chi as he was about to flee Hong Kong via the Tung Chung Development Pier on February 25, 2023. Lam, who was a detective constable at the time, said Kwong sustained a 2cm-by-2cm abrasion on his right..

This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account. The Hong Kong government has released a deeply scathing report by an independent committee probing the city’s deadliest blaze in decades, with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu holding a press conference alongside top officials to outline the administration’s consequent actions and systemic reforms. Sources earlier said that at least one senior official would take the rap for the tragedy as part of.

At least one senior official will take the rap for the deadly Tai Po fire as part of a set of “bold, comprehensive and far-reaching reforms” the Hong Kong government will announce on Thursday afternoon, sources have told the South China Morning Post. The official’s expected resignation would be part of the political accountability that the government hoped to underscore along with major reforms on administrative accountability that will go right to the top, one source said. The shake-up is...

A Hong Kong court has sentenced a teenager with triad links to eight years in prison for splashing corrosive liquid on a Singaporean tourist last year in return for a promised payment of HK$10,000 (US$1,280). Mr Justice Andrew Chan Hing-wai of the High Court said on Thursday that defendant Anson Kew, 19, had caused a “lifelong impact” on Jiang Wen, 36, who suffered second-degree burns in the attack on June 9, 2025. Kew, who was aged 17 at the time, threw a corrosive solution on the victim as she